Fence stretcher

ABSTRACT

A fence stretcher comprising an elongated tube, abutment means slidable on said tube, clamping means pivotally attached to the abutment means, a hook also slidable on the tube, and means employing a mechanical advantage for moving said hook or said abutment along the tube.

United States Patent [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS1,273,889 7/1918 Logan 254/83 X 1,999,174 4/1935 Jackson.. 254/30 X2,646,963 7/1953 Usher 254/83 2,997,292 8/1961 Lucker 254/134 X3,036,817 5/1962 Morici.... 254/134 Primary Examiner-Robert C. RiordonAssistant Examiner-David R. Melton Attorney-Holcombe, Wetherill &Brisebois ABSTRACT: A fence stretcher comprising an elongated tube,abutment means slidable on said tube, clamping means pivotally attachedto the abutment means, a hook also slidable on the tube, and meansemploying a mechanical advantage for moving said hook or said abutmentalong the tube.

PATENTEDuuv 16 ml SHEET 1 OF 3 FIG,1

FENCE STRETCHER SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention place to a newfence stretcher, which may be used for two purposes. In the first place,it may be used to stretch the smooth wire, barbed wire, or wire mesh ofthe fence. In the second place it may be used to pullout the fence poststo which the wire is attached. This feature is especially valuable incase the fence is intended for seasonal use.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a new article ofmanufacture which consists of a device for stretching fences and ischaracterized by the fact that it comprises in combination an elongatedmember on which a movable abutment is slidably mounted, said abutmentcomprising a device which is mounted to swing about a pivotperpendicular to the axis of the elongated member and by means of whichsaid abutment may be fastened to a post. One end of the elongated membercarries a hook which is preferably capable of swinging through an arc ofat least 180 about the longitudinal axis of the elongated member. Theelongated member also has a base at one end.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the elongated membercomprises a threaded screw which is adapted to be rotated therein and onwhich a nut fixed to the hook member is mounted. The abutment isslidable along the elongated member between a fixed abutment and thehook member.

In a second embodiment of the invention the slidable abutment isslidable along a bar like a jack handle. The hook member is fixed to oneend ofthis bar.

In order that the invention may be better understood two embodimentsthereof will now be described, purely by way of illustration, withreference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view, partially in section, showing a firstembodiment of the invention in use to pull out a post.

FIG. 2 shows the device of FIG. 1, partially in section, in use tostretch a fence wire.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show a second embodiment of the invention, used as thefirst embodiment is used in FIGS. 1 and 2 respectively.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, it will be seen that the elongatedmember 1 consists of a steel tube provided with a longitudinal slot 2.This steel tube carries at its lower end a base 3. A threaded rod 4extends axially therethrough and is rotated by a crank 5 which turns ashaft 6 which drives the threaded rod 4 through two bevel gears 7.

A nut 8 mounted on the threaded rod 4 comprises a portion which projectsout through the slot 2 of the tube and is slidable along the tube whenthe threaded rod 4 is rotated by the crank 5.

A hook 9 provided with a tip 10 encircles the tube 1 and bears on theprojecting part of the nut 8. A block 11 which is slidable within thetube 1 and encircles the threaded rod 4 has a part which projects out ofthe slot 2 and supports a device which is pivoted about a pin 12 andadapted to be fastened to the post 13. This device consists of aV-shaped cradle 14 to which the end of a clamp 16 is pivotally attachedat 15. The other end of the clamp may be fastened to the other side ofthe cradle by means of a pin 17. An abutment 18 is mounted on a threadedrod 19 screwed into a nut 20 in the clamp 16 and equipped with atransverse handle 21 by which it may be turned to clamp the tubular post13, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 1 shows the tubular post 13 being pulled out. The hook member 9 isbrought near the-base 3 by moving the nut 8 downward by means of thecrank 5. The block 11 is permitted to slide until it rests on the member9, after which the clamp 16 is positioned around the post and clampedthereto by turning the handle 21. It will be noted that in this positionthe tip 10 of the member 9 is swung in a direction away from the clamp.

It then suffices to turn the handle 5 in the direction which raises thenut 8 (as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 1) in order to pull out thepost, which is thus removed in a simple and rapid manner.

In FIG. 2 the hook member 9 is left near the base 3 and rotated 180about the axis of the tube 1 so as to bring the tip 10 to the same sideas the clamp.

The block 11 is then slid to the other end of the tube 1 and the clamp16 is fastened to the post 13 as previously described. It will be notedthat, in the position of FIG. 2, the tube 1 has turned 90 with respectto the clamp 16.

It then suffices to attach the wire to be stretched in any convenientmanner to the hook l0 and turn the crank 5 so as to raise the nut 8(FIG. 2) in order to tension the wire 22.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show the base 3, the hook member 9 and the nut 10 as wellas the different members 14-21 of the device for attachment to the post13. The cradle 14 is connected by a shaft 12 to a block 23 which isslidable along a bar 24 and comprises conventional device for moving theblock 23 to the right (FIG. 4) by oscillating the lever 24. This devicewhich is commonly used in automobile jacks, for example, is based on thegripping phenomena which prevent the block 23 from returning to theleft. These gripping phenomena may be neutralized by the lever 25.

The hook member 9 is so mounted as to be pivotable about the right endof the bar 24 (FIG. 4).

This device operates in the same way as the one described in connectionwith FIGS. 1 and 2. The oscillations of the lever 24 raise the block 23and remove the post 13 as in the case of FIG. 3. In the case of FIG. 4,the oscillations of the lever move the bar 24 to the left and exerttraction in this direction on the wire 22.

It will be seen that the invention permits the solution of the problemposed by the tensioning of fence wires and the removal of fence posts ina particularly simple manner.

It will be appreciated that the embodiments which have just beendescribed have been given purely by way of illustration and example andmay be modified in detail without thereby departing from the basicprinciples of the invention as defined by the following claims.

Thus the clamping means may be connected to the post in a differentmanner, and the mechanism for sliding the device along the elongatedmember may be of a different type.

What is claimed is:

l. A combination post jack and fence stretcher which comprises incombination an elongated member having at one end a base perpendicularto said elongated member,

abutment means slidably mounted on said elongated member forlongitudinal movement between two extreme positions along said elongatedmember,

a cradle mounted on said abutment means to rotate about an axisperpendicular to said elongated member and lying in a common plane,

clamping means mounted on said cradle to clamp a post between saidcradle and clamping means,

hook means mounted on said elongated member, and

means for advancing one of the means mounted on said elongated memberalong that member.

2. A device as claimed in claim I in which said elongated member isatube having astraight longitudinal slot therein and said advancing meanscomprises a threaded member mounted to rotate within said tubefand'anu'tencircling and mating with said threaded member-and connected to "saidabutment means so that said hook means may be advanced by rotating saidthreaded means.

3. A deviceas claimed in claim 1 in which said hook means are attachedto one end of said elongated member and said advancing means act on saidabutment means.

4. Device as claimed in claim 3 in which said hook means is mounted topivot about said elongated member.

5. Device as claimed in claim 1 in which said hook means is mountedbetween said abutment means and said base.

6. Device as claimed in claim 1 in which said cradle defines a V-shapednotch for receiving a post.

1. A combination post jack and fence stretcher which comprises incombination an elongated member having at one end a base perpendicularto said elongated member, abutment means slidably mounted on saidelongated member for longitudinal movement between two extreme positionsalong said elongated member, a cradle mounted on said abutment means torotate about an axis perpendicular to said elongated member and lying ina common plane, clamping means mounted on said cradle to clamp a postbetween said cradle and clamping means, hook means mounted on saidelongated member, and means for advancing one of the means mounted onsaid elongated member along that member.
 2. A device as claimed in claim1 in which said elongated member is a tube having a straightlongitudinAl slot therein and said advancing means comprises a threadedmember mounted to rotate within said tube, and a nut encircling andmating with said threaded member and connected to said abutment means sothat said hook means may be advanced by rotating said threaded means. 3.A device as claimed in claim 1 in which said hook means are attached toone end of said elongated member and said advancing means act on saidabutment means.
 4. Device as claimed in claim 3 in which said hook meansis mounted to pivot about said elongated member.
 5. Device as claimed inclaim 1 in which said hook means is mounted between said abutment meansand said base.
 6. Device as claimed in claim 1 in which said cradledefines a V-shaped notch for receiving a post.